Juventus vs SPAL
Juventus continue to do what they do best: win. The defending champions claimed their fourth win in five Serie A matches away to Brescia, and they did so without Cristiano Ronaldo.
They are currently in second place, two points behind leaders Inter Milan, who are still perfect with five wins out of five after beating Lazio, 1-0.
But while they’ve continued to rack up the wins, the Old Lady still hasn’t completely impressed under the guidance of new manager Maurizio Sarri.
They will expect to pick up three more points this weekend as they host struggling S.P.A.L. The Serie A 2019 betting odds are overwhelmingly in their favour, and it would come as quite a shock if they don’t win convincingly.
Talking Points
Juventus still adjusting to Sarri-ball
Despite winning four of their first five matches, Juventus’ performances under new manager Maurizio Sarri have not been all too impressive.
They haven’t won by more than a single goal in either of those four matches. Moreover, neither their attack nor their defence has looked remarkable. In their most recent 2-1 win over Brescia, they created 20 shots but also conceded 16.
Their lack of defensive solidity has been particularly notable as they gave away big leads against Napoli — which they still won in stunning fashion — and Atletico in the Champions League.
It seems clear that Sarri is still trying to find his best formation. With Ronaldo out against Brescia due to “slight fatigue in the adductor,” Sarri surprisingly fielded a midfield diamond, with new signing Adrien Rabiot getting his first start for Juve. Fellow newcomer Aaron Ramsey has also started each of the last two matches.
But Ronaldo looks set to return against S.P.A.L., which could also mean a return of Sarri’s favoured 4-3-3 formation.
Even with Juventus still adjusting to Sarri’s new system, they should still have more than enough talent to get past a struggling S.P.A.L. at home. Juve are currently on a 23-match unbeaten run at home in the league, with 19 wins and four draws.
S.P.A.L. struggling mightily
It has been a difficult start to the season for S.P.A.L. I Biancazzurri’s Serie A 2019 results have not been pretty, as they’ve lost four of their first five matches and currently find themselves second from bottom in the table.
They suffered back-to-back painful defeats to start the season. They surrendered a two-goal lead at home to Atalanta and conceded a 93rd-minute winner to Bologna.
They got their own stoppage-time winner against Lazio but then proceeded to give up three goals each in their losses to Sassuolo (3-0) and Lecce (3-1), where they conceded two penalties.
S.P.A.L. striker Andrea Petagna, the team’s leading scorer who finished last season tied for sixth in the league with 16 goals, is once again doing his part. He has two of the team’s five goals thus far and also has an assist. However, the lack of quality elsewhere in the squad has been evident during their early-season struggles.
Given their current struggles, S.P.A.L. are likely to adopt a conservative approach away to Juventus with the hope of avoiding another heavy beating. But with Juve hardly looking dominant early on this season, S.P.A.L. could find success parking the bus against their hosts.
History
Since S.P.A.L. only gained promotion back in 2017, they face only faced Juventus four times. Unsurprisingly, Juventus have won both meetings at the Juventus Stadium. They won 4-1 in 2017 and 2-0 last year, with Ronaldo getting on the scoresheet.
S.P.A.L. pulled off a shock 2-1 win in their second meeting, although Juventus — who were well on their way to winning the title — fielded a much-weakened side during that matchup.
Betting Tip
 |
 |
Juventus vs SPAL | Juventus First Half 1X2 @ 1.82 |
| September 28, 21:00 (GMT+8) |
SBOBET odds have Juventus as overwhelming 1.29 favourites to win this match, with S.P.A.L. priced at an astronomical 10.50.
Clearly, there’s not much value in Juve on the 1X2 market, so go to the First Half 1X2 market instead. Juve are priced at a more generous 1.82 to be in the lead by half-time, which seems like a fairly decent bet.
Save for their 0-0 draw against Fiorentina, Juve have scored in the first half in all of their matches thus far this season. And given S.P.A.L.’s current struggles, they seem highly unlikely to score in the entire match, much less the first half.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| = €20 (Highly confident) |
 = €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
|
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
